Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Biennial Specifications and Management Measures

This final rule establishes the 2011-2012 harvest specifications for most of the species in the groundfish fishery and management measures for that fishery off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) and the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP). This rule also establishes, under emergency authority in section 305 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), harvest specifications for eight overfished species, and for flatfish. Emergency authority is being invoked to implement measures that were included in Amendment 16-5 to the PCGFMP, which NMFS disapproved in December 2010. These include a new rebuilding plan for petrale sole, revised rebuilding plans for the remaining seven overfished species, and revised status determination criteria and precautionary harvest control rule for flatfish.